Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has admitted that a “key player” at the club may not remain at Hillsborough past January, acting as a big concern.
Sheffield Wednesday back in form under Rohl
The Owls secured their biggest result of the season so far last Saturday, winning 3-2 at home to Championship leaders West Brom. It stopped the rot for Wednesday, who hadn’t won in the league since the 4-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle at Hillsborough on the opening weekend, and the fact that it came against one of the strongest teams in the division made it feel even more significant.
For Rohl, it was a big day at the office, considering there may have been murmurings of discontent growing after such a poor run of form, and the hope now is that Wednesday are able to kick on and push themselves further up the Championship table, improving on their current 18th-place position.
There are many important players for the Owls currently, from James Beadle in goal to legendary veteran Barry Bannan in midfield, but a concerning update has now emerged regarding another figure.
"Key player" for Sheffield Wednesday could leave in January
Speaking to The Star, Rohl admitted that Shea Charles isn’t guaranteed to stay at Sheffield Wednesday all season, with a return to his parent club Southampton in January not out of the question, should they wish to recall him.
“I felt we needed exactly such a key player in the middle of the pitch. He is a good cover with Barry and we come more and more together, it all means Barry has some freedom and can attack again. It’s the reason why he (Bannan) has goals and assists because he knows Shea is always working hard in both directions. He is strong with and against the ball, he is very good as a holding six. He understands where he has to cover, winning balls, accelerating the game.
“Hopefully we can keep him the whole season – you never know what happens if he performs in this direction. For me, he is a great player and you see what it means when you bring quality players in. This is the difference in this league. All in all we need a team performance every day, every week and it is all about the team.”
Losing Charles in January would be such a blow for Wednesday, considering how seamlessly he has settled into life at Hillsborough since arriving on loan from Saints in the summer. The 20-year-old has averaged 3.3 tackles and 2.5 aerial duel wins per game across four Championship appearances for the Owls, highlighting the off-the-ball ability he has brought to the team.
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Hopefully, Charles won’t go anywhere until the end of the season – signing him permanently further down the line could even be ideal – but an exit midway through the campaign has the potential to damage their chances of success in the league.